Chimney Hill Estate & The Ol' Barn Inn

Peaceful Country Inn Near Delaware River

Among the lodgers at Chimney Hill Estate & The Ol' Barn Inn, the alpacas that live onsite are probably the woolliest and indisputably the most adorable. The unique, South American mini llamas reside on a hill overlooking the estate's lush 8.5 acres, a designated Natural Habitat registered with the National Wildlife Federation. Human guests, meanwhile, stay in either a two-story farmhouse originally built in 1820 or in the Ol' Barn, where horses neighed for more than a century before it was converted into four guest suites.

When visitors aren't feeding snacks to the alpacas, they're whiling away the hours by a cozy fireplace, tasting wine at a local vineyard, or walking a scenic footpath along the Delaware River. The brisk air smells like wood smoke, and the estate's picturesque grounds invite long walks or plein air Photoshopping.

Each of the estate house's eight spacious guest rooms is uniquely decorated; most have fireplaces, and some have four-poster beds and claw-foot tubs. In the Ol' Barn's quartet of suites, boards from the building's original incarnation line the walls, floors, and ceilings. The suites' varying offerings include balconies and jetted tubs. A hearty country breakfast awaits in the morning, with dishes such as cranberry-cream-cheese french toast and blueberry pancakes.

Lambertville, New Jersey and New Hope, Pennsylvania: Historic Towns Divided by Scenic Delaware River

Straddling the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border, the quaint towns of Lambertville and New Hope are nestled along the banks of the scenic Delaware River. Riparian adventurers can navigate canoes and kayaks under covered bridges, and year-round catfish and bass fishing occupies lonely bait boxes. The region is rich in colonial-era history, including famed Revolutionary War landmarks such as Goat Hill Overlook, Coryell’s Crossing, and the site of John Hancock's school-age graffiti art.

The historical atmosphere is reflected in each town, where intricate Victorian buildings sidle up alongside small, local boutiques. Eclectic trinkets and relics line shelves inside myriad antique shops. A canal wends through Lambertville, providing cafés with waterfront alfresco dining and a reflective surface for diners to check for any mustard seeds left between their teeth.